Rajdeep Sardesai mobbed and abused

Sorce: indiaopines.com

As happens often in India, attacking and mobbing critics are common in all countries.  AAP volunteers are routinely attacked by Modi-bhaktas in India. But when a similar thing happened outside the Madison Square Garden in New York to one of the most popular and talented TV anchors, Rajdeep Sardesai, now a consulting editor of the Headlines Today, it came as a shock. He was mobbed and abused by hundreds of frenzied Modi supporters who had organised a dazzling rock star-like show for the visiting PM. The event had all the ingredients of a political rally. Videos available on social media sites show that Sardesai did also lose his cool and became combative with those who were abusing him and shouting ‘Sardesai murdabad’. He was seen asking the mob whether Modi had ‘told you to do so, or America has taught you to behave like this’. A very large section of the media fraternity expressed concern at the mobbing attempts to stop journalists doing their job freely. 

     The Sardesai incident immediately went viral on the social media. Worried supporters of Modi then uploaded a video showing Sardesai aggressively hurling a punch towards an abuser. Several people asked why he was asking provocative questions while covering the event. But the questions he asked were of general nature, like: ‘What do you expect Modi to say in his address? Can one man (Modi) change India? Did you pay your way for a ticket to Madison Square Garden? Has the media been unfair to Modi?’  They were not offensive by any standard. But for some reason Sardesai had been on the receiving end of Modi supporters even during Lok Sabha elections.

     Very much in tune with his marketing style, Modi succeeded in presenting a rare show at the Madison Square Garden, one of the ten costliest venues in the world. His supporters, numbering 400 odd organisations, had invited Indo-Americans to participate for free on ‘first come first served basis’. And they came in droves and jam-packed the stadium cheering and shouting ‘Modi-Modi-Modi’ at every sentence he uttered. He indeed was able to send good TV images back home, where channels kept on repeating them ad nauseam.

The Article was first published in the monthly magazine of political affairs, the ' Lokayat' (October, 2014 issue)